Race 2 Win: Winn-Dixie 250 - Kevin Harvick Notes

NASCAR Busch Series

Winn-Dixie 250 - Kevin Harvick Notes

Kevin Harvick
No. 21 U.S. Coast Guard Chevrolet
Event Preview Fact Sheet

Event/Date: Winn-Dixie 250 – June 30, 2006
Venue: Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, Fla.

NOTES:

This Week’s Race Car at Daytona International Speedway … Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 054 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable. Built new for 2006, this is the same U.S. Coast Guard Chevrolet that Jeff Burton drove to a 30th-place finish at Daytona after suffering a broken valve spring. Harvick also drove it to a second-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway earlier this season.

Stat Facts … In eight Busch Series starts at Daytona International Speedway, Harvick has posted one pole (2005), seven top-five and eight top-10 finishes. The Bakersfield, Calif., native has completed 100 percent of laps attempted at DIS.

Restrictor Plate Success … Harvick has competed in 12 Busch Series races on restrictor plate tracks (Daytona and Talladega), completing 96 percent of the laps. He has an average starting position of 7.6 and an average finishing spot of 9. Additionally, Harvick boasts one pole (Daytona 2005), eight top-five and nine top-10 finishes.

Cooking with the Fans … Kevin Harvick and members of the No. 29 Hershey’s team will light up the infield on Thursday, June 29, at Daytona with a S’mores campfire event. Celebrating this quintessential summertime snack, Hershey’s will distribute more than 2,000 S’mores kits complete with graham crackers, marshmallows and Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bars to fans staying in the infield to celebrate race week at Daytona International Speedway. Randomly selected kits will contain invitations to join Harvick and the team for “S’more” fun around the campfire. Local Boy Scout Troops will get the campfire started while Smokey the Bear looks on to ensure a safe party in the Fan Zone.

Did You Know? … Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. were the only two NASCAR Busch Series drivers to finish both Daytona races in the top five. Harvick crossed the finish line second in both events.

Coast Guard Outing … RCR’s No. 2 and No. 21NASCAR Busch Series teams will pay a special visit to the Coast Guard station in Leon, Fla on Wednesday, June 28 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The teams will have the opportunity to learn more about the Coast Guard and its missions. While at the station, the teams will have the chance to ride on Coast Guard cutters and participate in a search and rescue training mission.

Double Dippin’ … In addition to his driving duties with the No. 21 Coast Guard Chevrolet at Daytona, Harvick a six-time race winner in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, will drive the No. 29 Hershey’s Chevy on Saturday, July 1, in the Pepsi 400 NASCAR Nextel Cup race. The race will be televised live on FOX beginning at 7:30 p.m. EDT and also broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and XM Satellite Radio. Harvick is currently 10th in the NASCAR Nextel Cup championship battle.

NASCAR SpeedPark … Harvick will visit NASCAR SpeedPark Myrtle Beach on Wednesday, June 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. During his appearance at NASCAR SpeedPark, he will do a meet and greet for some of his fans as well as sign autographs and race on the Speed Park’s tracks.

Up to Speed … The Winn-Dixie 250 at Daytona International Speedway will be televised live Friday, June 30 beginning at 7:30 p.m. EDT on FX. The Motor Racing Network and XM Satellite Radio will also carry the race broadcast live. Qualifying for the 18th of 35 NASCAR Busch Series events will take the green flag at 1 p.m. EDT Friday, June 30.

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:
What is different at Daytona during the July races compared to the races in February?
“The track gets hot and slick during the races in July. The handling characteristics become magnified a lot more. We are shooting for a good-handling race car. We are willing to knock a little speed out of the car for it to handle better.”

Do you like restrictor plate racing? Is it more mental than physical?
“I have always really liked the bigger tracks. It’s way more mental than physical. You’re worn out by the end of the race. You spend a lot of time looking in the mirrors anticipating the other guy’s next move.”

How much a factor does the wind play at Daytona?
“The wind blows so hard here that it’s really hard to know if you’re gaining a half-a-tenth or a hundredth. That’s really what you’re looking for is hundredths. When the wind is blowing and you have to go back and decipher all the date, it makes it a little difficult to know for sure whether something’s right or wrong.”